Prepares to Compete in Dakar 2011
Jun 22, 2010
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| 1) New Sporting Aspects | Bikes: The riders featured in the organizer's Elite list will all be obliged to ride on vehicles whose power does not exceed 450cc. The number of engines authorized will be 3. Other riders are free to choose their type of bike. For the Dakar 2012, all riders taking part must ride a 450cc bike. |
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| Cars: The organizer decided to increase the air intake on petrol engines to a diameter of 34 mm to strike the best balance possible between the petrol and the diesel engines. For the Dakar 2011, all the drivers from all the teams will be able to take advantage of this measure. Furthermore, teams running petrol-powered vehicles will be able to fit 6-speed gearboxes, in contrast to professional teams running diesel-powered vehicles, which will still have to use 5-speed gearboxes. | |
| Navigation: Pure navigation skill is the very essence of the rally-raid discipline. For 2011, the changes will concern the way point markers (WPM) that the competitors must find. Last year, the competitors were guided by their instruments when they reached a distance of 3 kilometers from the WPM. In 2011, the distance required to trigger the GPS will be reduced to 400 meters. | |
| 2) Environmentally Friendly | The organizer has enforced the following activities as environmental measures. - The CONAMA (Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente or National Commission for Environment) was invited to put forward its observations after an initial series of reconnaissance in The field, in order to determine The rally courses. - A new evaluation of the carbon footprint was conducted to work on the various possibilities of offsetting the carbon emissions produced. As a part of this endeavor, competitors using alternative fuels such as electricity, hybrid engines, or bio-fuels will be included in the general standings and also ranked in a special "alternative energy" category. - In all of the zones visited, the rally entrants will collect, sort, and process waste in accordance with the management methods specified by the "Residues Peligrosos" Department of the Secretaria de Medio Ambiante y Desarollo Sustentable (Secretary for the Environment and Sustainable Development). Moreover, to ensure the cleanliness of the tracks once the rally has passed by, a team of four vehicles will follow at the end of the field of racers, along the route behind the broom-truck (sweeper-truck) which picks up retired entrants, in order to collect any waste left behind (dislodged bodywork, etc.) |
| 3) Solidarity | In addition to the continuous activities to support Africa (the sums reached an overall total of 1.2 million euros) including a certain number of projects in the field of sustainable development, such as farming, city development, reforestation, and prevention of desertification, 100,000 euros was exceptionally donated after the earthquake and tidal wave in Chile. Additional support was provided from the respective registration fees of all rally competitors (150 euros per entry, for trucks.) Moreover, emergency housing construction support, etc. has been provided through the local NGO to assist the building plan for the 500,000 houses destroyed by the earthquake that struck Chile. |
| 4) Dakar Series | The Dakar Series is a rally with an objective to provide opportunities to conduct a rally as well as to foster entrants. Continuing since last year, the Silk Way Rally will be held from 11th to 19th September. It is scheduled to drive 4,000 km from Saint Petersburg to Sochi. |
